ON THE HILL: I AM ALEX NIETO

Written and Directed by Paul S. Flores

Co-directed by Eric Reid

On the Hill: I Am Alex Nieto is a theater piece about the impact the death of Alex Nieto—at the hands of the SFPD—had on youth of color residing in San Francisco neighborhoods that are currently gentrified. The project uses music, dance and theater as a tool for communities divided by issues of police violence, racism, gentrification, and economic disparity to find ways to dialogue with each other, and discover opportunities for solutions, healing and unification. 

In July 2015, Paul Flores and Loco Bloco’s Musical Director, Pedro Gomez, facilitated story collection and interviews—utilizing Native American and Latino cultural practices—from individuals directly connected to Alex Nieto, including his parents, siblings, and friends; as well as, people who did not know Alex Nieto personally but were impacted by his death, including members of the Justice for Alex Coalition, law enforcement officers, local activists, and residents of San Francisco neighborhoods who related to issues of police violence and gentrification due to their own experiences. 

Directed by Flores and Reid, Loco Bloco’s youth-artists utilized documentary theater techniques to develop the true stories into staged narratives. The courageous artistic practice teaches the critically important lessons of empathy and humility necessary to unite communities divided by class, race and culture.

Through their interpretation of death and life—the young actors incorporate bilingual spoken word, drum, song, dance, and video projection to retell the story of the night Alex Nieto was murdered on Bernal Hill on March 21, 2014.